TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020.
SUBJECT: THE PRAYER-LESS CHRISTIAN!
Memory verse: "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” (First Timothy 4 vs 8.)
READ: Luke =18 vs 1 - 8:
18:1: Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray, and not lose heart,
18:2: saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God, nor regard man.
18:3: Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice tor me from my adversary.’
18:4: And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God, nor regard man,
18:5: yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
18:6: Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.
18:7: And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bear long with them?
18:3: Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice tor me from my adversary.’
18:4: And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God, nor regard man,
18:5: yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
18:6: Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.
18:7: And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bear long with them?
18:8: I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
INTIMATION:
Prayer is the master key to godliness. Prayer should be as natural as breathing and as enjoyable as eating. It will be as unconscious as our communication with each other. While doing all these we must not lose the fact that we are communicating in fellowship with Someone superior to us but has given us the privilege to come to Him. A prayer-less Christian is a weaponless, powerless, and defenseless believer. He or she is a toy in the hands of the devil and his agents—the demons. A prayer-less Christian is very far away from God and cannot seek Him and that is the bane of some of the individual members of the body of Christ.
The Scripture said about our Messiah Jesus Christ; “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1 vs 35.) If prayer was important for Jesus during His earth walk, then it must be important for His followers. Jesus was a man of prayer. He taught prayer, not as a slavish duty, but as a glorious privilege. I use to wonder why He needed to pray. But He needed that because He took His human form, and lived the human life. I am convinced that He didn't draw upon the secret resources that belonged to Him during His earthly ministry, more than it is possible for us who live and walk in His name.
Without God we can do nothing. Jesus emphasized this fact in John 15 vs 5, when He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” If without God we can do nothing, how then it will be foolish not to seek Him at all times. We seek God through prayer and His Word. Believing that God exists is only the beginning; even the demons believe that much (James 2 vs 19 -20). God will not settle for mere acknowledgment of His existence. He wants a personal, dynamic relationship with you that will transform your life. Those who seek God will find that they are rewarded with His intimate presence.
God finds easy to reach us as we constantly visit Him. Our visit to the Lord is fellowshipping with Him in prayers. By constant visit, we make ourselves available for His use. We will be in that prized inner-circle with Him as one of the trusted ones. To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless or painfully long prayer sessions. Constant prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for Him day by day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.
Pray even if you have to get up very early in the morning to do it. It’s vitally important to: (1) seek the Lord before your busy schedule takes over your thoughts; (2) withdraw from noise and demands so you can focus on God; (3) take Jesus’ attitude of regular communion with the Father; (4) reflect on the priorities Jesus had in His life; (5) determine to pray on a more regular basis, not just in times of crisis. If unjust judges respond to pressure, how much more will a great and loving God respond to us? If we know He loves us, we can believe He will hear our cries for help.
Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God’s power is infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it, especially because God encourages us to do so. The Christian’s most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Although God is all-powerful and all-knowing, He has chosen to let us help Him change the world through our prayers. How this works is a mystery to us because of our limited understanding, but it is a reality.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the privileged invitation to me to constantly commune with You in prayer, knowing that without You I can do nothing. Endue me with the spirit of prayer and supplication at all times, that I may constantly draw strength from Your power, in Jesus’ matchless Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
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